The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-10-27
SAVED FROM THE SEA

Mr. Richard Ryder, attorney at law with
cry meager practice, reclned upon a lounge
IN his bachelor room, holding an open letter
In his hand 1t was Il pretty, well furnished
room i'll the front of a house on one of the
most fashionable up town streets in New
York, and presented such cheerful appear
ance that we might fairly suppose that even
bachelor lawyer could be happy within its
limits Yet Richard Ryder was far from
being contented, and the letter in his hand
was the cause of his dissatisfied frame of
mind:
RED SHELL BAY-MoNDAY.
DEAREST DICK: 1t is long time since |
wrote you, but hope you have not thought
very i'll of me- could not write before, and
now it is almost breaking my heart. | can
never be your wife, Dick, for am going to
marry Walter Rockwell-and / hate him.
Oh, Dick, my love, how can l ever marry
that man when my heart is yoursl Yet l
must, must Do not scorn me, Dick, but
| pity me. Will you come and see me once
more, dear, before thenG If so, come on
Thursday. MILDRED"
1t was now Tuesday evening, and Dick
wondered what good could come of another
visit to his love. Dick Ryder was a good
| hearted fellow, and loved Mildred Trevor
dearly, but he felt a little sore over the con-
| tents of her letter. He was pretty well ac-
quainted with the circumstances which led
up to this decision of Mildred's. The Frevors
had been rich and had raised Mleir only
daughter amid all the luxury and refinement
which wealth could command, Two wears
before our story opens, however, Mr. Trevor
had died, leaving his wife and daughter
much poorer than ought to have been the
case.
Mildred herself loved wealth and aflluence,
but her mother much more so. The latter
had led her daughter to believe that the one
object now to be attained by her was a rich
husband. So when Walter Rockwell a
wealthy young merchant, offered his hand in
marriage she accepted his offer. She never
loved him-never pretended to love him-but
then up to that time she had never loved any
one. And then Dick Ryder, handsome, clever
and good hearted, came upon the scene, and
Mildred Trevor loved him and he loved her.
Perhaps if Mildred had been left to herself
and her feelings in the matter she would have
broken her engagement with Rockwell and
married Dick. But strong outside influence
was brought to bear upon her. especially by
her mother. Mr. Rockwell, too, pressed his
suit and tried to hasten the date for the we'd
ding, while Dicks practice grew very slowly.
So the end of it all was the letter which Dick
now held in his hand
Mr.. Ryder could not make up his mind
that evening as to whether or not it would
be wise for him to GO to Red Shell bay, and
retired to spend the night in troubled dreams
of tba
Next morning he was 10 nearer a solution
OF the difficulty, but as 10 o'clock drew near
he remembered that he had promised to see
his chum, Tom Stevenson, embark on the
Etruria for Europe. He hurried to the pier
and found his friend. They chatted away
amid the hustle and din around them, and
just as the sailors began to clear the decks of
those who were not passengers Stevenson
said:
"By the way, Dick, heard something O
day or two ago of your rival Rockwell.
heard he was married to an English girl in
London year or two ago and did not use
her very'well / think there is more truth
than fiction in the report, too"
"Step off the gangway, sir" said one of the
ships officers to Dick, giving that young man
gentle shove on the pier.
But Dick was aroused by his friends re-
cital, and at the risk Of being noticed by the
crowd, shouted "StevensoLl Toni"
Mr.. Stevenson appeared e5 tie side of the
steamer. airy and learn all you can of that
matter, Tom, for Gods sake, and telegraph
me-"
"All right" replied Stevenson. as it SO
bad as that9 Well goodby, old fellow, I'll
not forget" But Dick was too much en-
crossed in his own thoughts to bid his friend
"goodby" or wish him bon voyage. One
thing Dick Ryder resolved upon. lie would |
go down to Red Shell bay and he would start |
that very evening.
Red Shell bay is an cut of the way quiet |
little summer resort on the New England |
coast Besides the one small hotel there ore |
perhaps dozen cottages-altogether too in |
place for the railroad 10 include |
along its line. So the iron horse passed Red |
Shell bay full ten miles to the westward and |
communication with New York and Boston |
is kept up by means of a steamer which. dur |
ing the summer months, makes bi-weekly |
trips
This was Wednesday, and the steamer left |
New York Tuesdays and Fridays. so if Dick
would be at Red Shell bay OH Thursday be
or drive the additional ten miles. "Well,"
thought he, 81 have often walked it before,
and l think l can do it once more; / can
walk over early in the morning"
However, Dick missed the night train and
the train that left New York on Thursday
morning did not bring him to Derbyville
until o'clock in the afternoon. Meanwhile
be had telegraphed to Miss Trevor:
"Will walk over from Derbyville Thursday
evening. Try and meet me at the old place"
The Derbyville road lay for more than two
miles along the top of the cliffs before it en-
.ered the seaside village Of Red Shell bay.
Dick had been wont to leave the highway
and take to the sands, where Mildred had
several times met him to bear him company
1t the close Of his walk
1t was just shutdown when Dick came to
he point where he usually left the road for
he beach, and although it was the close of a
Iultry day In August the ocean appeared un-
isually sullen, while the sky looked wild with
hat strange mixture Of thick blackness and
iery redness which we sometimes see before
terrible storm
Dick began to think that he was in for q